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candacesiegle_greedyreader's review
4.0
Francesca Loftfield arrives in the isolated Italian village of Santa Chionia, chomping at the bit to create the nursery school she's been trained to build by a British entity. It's 1960, and the goal is to raise a generation of literate children in an area that has never had a school. She's prepared for a village clinging to a mountain side with no electricity or running water. She's not prepared for massive flooding that will wash out the only bridge connecting Santa Chionia to anything, or that her mission will be derailed by the discovery of a child's body when the flood waters recede.
Soon, Franca is fully embroiled in questions about the skeleton, asked by various villagers because, as an outsider, she can ask these questions. Or can she? Franca finds a surprising collaborator in her cranky landlady and the two of them ask those questions and incur rancor on all sides.
As a "fish out of water," the young American will make you cringe with embarrassment as she runs roughshod over traditions and beliefs, certain that she knows better. She delves into the men who've gone to America, and often vanished. Her sense of superiority is irritating, but the moments when she connects with people in her town are delightful.
Juliet Grames' world building is complete and entrancing, especially when we realize that such a town as Santa Chionia can no longer exist, at least in that form. This novel lacks the shock factor that made "Stella Fortuna" so unforgettable. Still this is a appealing look at a time, place, and attitude that will carry you along to the end of the tale.
Soon, Franca is fully embroiled in questions about the skeleton, asked by various villagers because, as an outsider, she can ask these questions. Or can she? Franca finds a surprising collaborator in her cranky landlady and the two of them ask those questions and incur rancor on all sides.
As a "fish out of water," the young American will make you cringe with embarrassment as she runs roughshod over traditions and beliefs, certain that she knows better. She delves into the men who've gone to America, and often vanished. Her sense of superiority is irritating, but the moments when she connects with people in her town are delightful.
Juliet Grames' world building is complete and entrancing, especially when we realize that such a town as Santa Chionia can no longer exist, at least in that form. This novel lacks the shock factor that made "Stella Fortuna" so unforgettable. Still this is a appealing look at a time, place, and attitude that will carry you along to the end of the tale.
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